EXCERPT FROM SARA’S JOURNALFebruary 26, 1999
Calle Conde de Barajas, Seville
Flamenco II
It is the raw expression of the joys and sorrows of life, and the heart
and soul of Andalusia.
There are many types of Flamenco, all from different parts of
Andalusia. It is believed that gypsies were the creators of the art, developing to its
present form in the 18th Century, blending Indian-influenced culture with
existing Moorish and Andalusian folklore, then mixing again with Jewish and Christian
music.
Flamenco guitars are slightly different from the modern classical
guitar, which evolved in Spain in the 19th Century. Flamenco guitars have a
lighter, shallower construction and a thicker plate below the soundhole for tapping. At
the tablao (flamenco club) there are at least three people performing with the
guitarist; the singer, the dancer and the hand-clapper.
Singing is an integral part of flamenco and the singer is most often a
man, singing solo.
The Flamenco rhythm is created by the guitar, the hand clapping, and by
the dancer’s feet in high-heeled shoes. La Chanca is the bailaora (a
female dancer), performing expressive, passionate movements with no strict choreography.
Dancers improvise from basic movements, following the rhythm of the guitar and their
feelings. She may also compliment the rhythm with castanets. Sometimes there is a baiaor
(male dancer), who plays a less important role than the bailaora. Graceful hand
movements are used to express the dancers’ feelings at the moment—whether pain,
sorrow or happiness. These movements are also not choreographed, and the styles vary from
person to person.
Of the seven types of Flamenco, last night’s toothless man was
singing the songs of Las Minas—Mining songs. He sang in a robust, guttural,
almost raspy, coughing style. His notes broke up and then started again, wavering in his
throat. This is a particularly powerful form of flamenco, songs about people who are
surviving. The words are never written down, just passed from person to person. The words
of the toothless man tell the story of how he is going to work hard the next day blasting
with dynamite because his house is falling apart and he wants to rebuild it. That’s
it. A song sung without intellectual ornamentation, just a will.
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